How To Save a Life ft Injured Liam
by MissBarbieAnne
Summary: WARNING: mention of wounds, bleeding, pain, and infection Its a beautiful day in mid-July, and the gang decide to hit the road! Liam, Ruby, Chubs, Vida, and Zu, together for the first time in a while. For a little bit, that is. Shortly into their trip, Liam is taken and the others have no idea where he is. They need to find him and save him before it's too late.
1. Part 1

**LIAM'S POV**

It was my idea to go for a drive. The sun was shining, it was a gorgeous day in the middle of July, and we were together. Ruby, Suzume, Chubs, Vida, and myself. It did not get much better or rarer than that!

I reached over to buckle my seatbelt, glancing over my shoulder to peer into the back. "You guys all ready to go?"

"Ready!" Zu was nearly trembling in her seat, ready to set forth. She leaned into Vida, the girl who she now saw as a big sister. Vida just save her a small smile, but the fondness she felt for the girl was obvious.

"Where exactly are we going?" Chubs asked. "Do you even have a destination in mind, Lee?"

I chuckled. "The destination is not the important part. The journey there is the true adventure my friend."

Chubs snorted.

I grabbed Ruby's hand, using the other hand to turn on the radio before putting the truck in drive.

"Ready to go, darlin'?" I shot her a famous Stewart grin and I saw the blush start to color her cheeks.

"I've been ready," She said, and with that we hit the road.

As soon as we got on the highway, I just followed the curves in the road. It took us right along a river, following the bends of the water as we moved through a small gorge. The sights were amazing and I could hear the exciting gasps from Zu as she took in the world around her.

Chubs and Vida were in the backseat silently messing with each other. Vida had her arm stretched along the seat, her arm behind Zu, flicking Chubs every so often and then turning away when he glared at her. He huffed, trying to scoot closer to the door and out of her reach, but she still managed to get him every time. It was amusing to watch in the rearview mirror.

It was while I was watching them that I noticed the SUV. I had noticed it a few miles back, and it was still there. The windows were tinted so I could barely make out the driver or if there were any passengers. The exterior was black and it was missing the front license plate. Every so often, it would come right up behind us, then drift back. This went on for several miles. Eventually, the road broke up into two lanes for passing. I veered into the right lane to allow the SUV to pass, but instead it lingered behind my truck.

"Is everything okay?" Ruby whispered, soft enough so the others could not hear over the music.

"I'm not sure," I whispered back, glancing up again to watch the car. "That SUV has been behind us for a long time."

"They might just be going the same way," Ruby said, but even she sounded a little uncomfortable. We were all too familiar with being followed.

"I'm going to test it," I looked into the backseat. "I'm going to take this next exit, just in case anyone is hungry or has to pee. Okay?"

"Oh, thank god!" Chubs exclaimed. "I've been holding it for the last 20 minutes!"

"Geez, grandpa. You gotta pee already?" Vida teased.

Chubs glared at her. "It's not my fault! I drank a lot of water before we left!"

"I'm hungry anyway!" Zu piped up.

"Okay, it's just a couple miles ahead. Can you hold it that long, Chubby?" I looked over at Chubs as he shot daggers from his eyes.

When I took the exit, the SUV followed, but when I pulled into the gas station, it passed us. I breathed a sigh of relief and I saw Ruby visibly relax as well.

"I guess we were just imagining stuff," She said, letting out an airy laugh. "I'm going to go in with Zu to get something to eat. Do you want anything?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I'm good. I'm going to fill up the truck."

Ruby nodded and took Zu's hand, leading the girl inside. Vida and Chubs had already run to the bathrooms (apparently Vida had had to go just as bad). This left me alone at the pump.

I leaned against the truck, watching the numbers go up and up on the pump as the gas tank filled. I chewed my lip, trying to get the knot to untwist in my stomach. Something still did not feel right… but I could not figure out what. I tried to shake the feeling, but it would not go away.

The pump clicked, and I removed the nozzle and placed it back on the handle. I glanced inside the store and saw the others still moving around inside.

Wiping off my hands on my shirt, I turned to head inside as well.

"Sir?"

I turned around, spotting a woman, maybe mid-40s, standing beside the pump.

"Can I help you?" I asked hesitantly, standing between the truck and the store door.

"Could you spare a little money? I am trying to get home for my niece's birthday, but I ran out of gas." She motioned toward a little white car parked at the pump next to the one I had been using.

My heart sank. "I'm sorry to hear that. Of course I'll help."

"Thank you so much!"

"Don't worry about it. I would be happy to help," I gave her a nod and headed to the pump.

I grabbed my wallet from my back pocket, accidently dropping my keys as I did so. When I bent down to grab them, someone had wrapped their arm around my neck, putting me in a chokehold. Panicking, I started thrashing, but then they placed a wet cloth against my face and everything went fuzzy and dark.

The last thought that went through my head was ' _we were watching the_ _wrong car'_.

 **RUBY'S POV**

After what felt like hours, everyone had finally made their food selections. After checking out, I led everyone outside so we could get back into the truck and continue our adventure.

"Charlie, did you seriously have to get more liquid?" Vida groaned, motioning to Chubs' 24oz bottle of water.

"Vida, water is very important. And _someone_ had to use the restroom just as bad as I did!" Chubs retorted.

Vida rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Come on, Lee is waiting for us," I reminded them. I turned back to the truck, still holding Zu's hand. But Liam was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did he go?" Zu asked, looking up at me. I tried to keep my panic under control.

"I'm sure he is around here somewhere," I told her. We walked over to the truck and I opened the door for Zu. I helped her climb inside, then went to look for Lee.

"I'm going to look for him, you stay here with Chubs, okay?" I gave Zu a look, and she nodded. She needed to stay put and not come after me. Chubs had gotten in beside her and opened up his bag of chips to share with her.

Vida came around to meet me on the side of the truck. "Where do you think Boy Scout ran off to?" She asked.

I took a deep breath, but my hands were trembling. All I could think about was the SUV that had been behind us. What if it actually _had_ been following us? What if it turned back around and grabbed Liam?

"Hey, he probably just ran to the bathroom or something," Vida said, noticing my obvious anxiety.

"I think someone was following us," I admitted, keeping my voice low so the other two couldn't hear.

Vida's face fell. "When?"

"On the highway. That is why Liam took the exit, to see if it would follow."

"Did it?"

I shook my head. "It exited too, but it passed the gas station."

"But you're afraid it came back." Vida voiced my fear out loud.

I nodded.

"Okay, let's just think, okay?" She looked around. "Are there any signs that he was taken?"

I looked around, shaking my head. "Let's look around."

We walked around the building, just to be sure he wasn't hiding somewhere, but no luck. He had just disappeared. There was no blood, fortunately, that would have meant he had been injured.

It was when we were walking back to the pumps that I noticed something shiny on the pavement. I looked closer, and noticed the keys to the truck laying on the ground. I reached down and scooped them up, holding them out to Vida.

"He wouldn't go anywhere without these," I whispered, fighting to keep my voice from cracking. "This truck is like his baby."

Vida took the keys from my hand, holding them tightly in her grasp. "We'll find him, boo."

There was only one problem. We had no idea where to start.


	2. Part 2

**LIAM'S POV**

When I finally came to, I was greeted by a pounding headache and complete darkness. Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will the queasiness away. The headache was likely just a side effect from whatever I had been drugged with. Just take a few deep breaths…

After a few minutes, I opened my eyes again to try to get a look at my surroundings. Everything was still dark except for a little sliver of light to my right. After feeling a few bumps and hearing the sound of an engine, I realized I was in the trunk of a car.

That's when I remember what happened at the gas station.

 _Ruby! The others…_

But I was alone. There had only been one other car at the gas station, and I was in it… I think.

They were safe.

They had to be.

I went over my situation. My face was not blind-folded, because I could see some light coming in from outside. I spread my legs apart and found they were not bound together. I wiggled my toes. Those still worked.

My hands were bound in front of me, but they had used zip-ties instead of rope or handcuffs.

That's when I realized.

These people were not PSFs or even Skip Tracers. These people were amateurs.

I almost laughed. If they really knew what they were doing, I would be gagged, blind-folded, and properly tied up like an animal. Whoever was behind this obviously did not know what I was capable of.

This would be almost too easy.

 _Okay, first thing I gotta do is get out of these zip-ties…_

I knew I could not very easily chew threw them. I reached down to my pocket to see if I could shimmy my keys out, and use them to break the ties.

Then I remembered. I had dropped my keys as the gas station.

I cursed under my breath, trying to think of something else I could use.

How many times had Cole and I gone over this when we were younger?

I could remember him going over various techniques to getting out of restraints. We had gone over them while I was in the League too. It was basic survival training.

Tighten the tie. That was step one. I craned my neck, grabbing the tie and pulling. I felt the plastic dig into my skin and I kept going until I could not handle it any more.

What was next?

Tightening the tie made it weaker… now I just had to break it. I took a deep breath, lifting my arms up as high as I could. On the count of three, I brought my arms to my stomach and pulled my wrists apart as hard and fast and I could until…

 _Snap!_

The tie fell to the floor beside me.

I let out a sign of relief, rubbing the reddened areas on my wrists. _Thanks, Cole._

I stayed silent for a while afterwards. I did not know how much commotion I had caused, and did not want to alert them that I was awake. Not to mention trying to escape.

I counted 15 minutes in my head before rolling onto my stomach and trying to peer out of the tiny crack where the truck met the bumper. I couldn't see anything, except for the road speeding away underneath of me.

Where was I anyway?

I had no idea how long I had been knocked out or how many miles I was away from the others. Were they looking for me right now?

I was relieved I had dropped the keys; at least they could use the truck to get back home.

My mind was racing, trying to figure out some way I could escape. I noticed the emergency lever above my head, which would cause the trunk to pop open. But then I would have to jump from a speeding car and risk injury, and they would certainly stop and come after me within seconds. I would not get very far.

I felt my hands begin to tingle with an all-too-familiar sensation. If only I could pull something into the road. If the car crashed, I could jump out in the moment of chaos and escape. But I had never grabbed onto something I could not see. I had seen other Blues move things without looking. But I had never attempted it.

I guess now was as good a time as any to try.

Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on the world outside. I let my powers try to grab onto something, anything… but they just kept grasping air.

It was frustrating, but I kept trying. Minutes went by, and nothing. 15 minutes, 20 minutes… there was nothing.

I was about to give up, when I felt a snag. I grabbed onto it for dear life… what was it? I couldn't even tell what it was, but there was no time. I was about to lose it.

With my mind, I pulled as hard as I could toward the road.

Then I heard the tumbling.

The road felt like it was shaking. I felt the car screech as the driver slammed on the breaks, but it was too late.

The boulder hit the road and the car slammed into it.

I was thrown against the back of the trunk, but I fought through the daze and quickly pulled the emergency lever. The trunk popped and I was staring up at the blue sky and bright sun.

Clambering out of the trunk, I glanced at the car. The entire front end was smashed, and I noticed blood smeared on the windshield.

But there was no time to feel guilty.

I broke out into a run, as far from the car as I possibly could.

A few minutes went by, and the car was out of sight. No one had called after me. There was nothing but silence.

A smile broke out across my face. I did it!

I escaped.

I was going to be okay.

I…

…

I was falling.

The ground on the side of the road was giving in. I was standing along the edge of the road, right along the river. The ground was soft, and I didn't have time to move before it pulled me down.

A strangled scream escaped my lungs as I tumbled down the gravel, dirt, and weeds. A few scraggly bushes broke my fall before I could tumble into the swift river.

Disoriented, I glanced up. I had fallen as least 20 feet…but I was okay?

I was a little sore, but other than that, I was fine.

That is, until I tried to stand.

I pushed up from the ground, bending my knees and preparing to get up and start moving. But as soon as I put weight on my legs, my right leg gave out. I screamed. I screamed so loud.

"Fucking shit!" I hissed, biting my lip as I collapsed onto my hands on knees. "What the hell?"

I leaned back and sat down, stretching out my leg in front of me. Right away, I could see the disfiguration through my jeans. My stomach turned. I was almost afraid to look.

I rolled up my pant leg, and I felt all the color leave my face.

My shin was bloody, more blood still running from the large cut in the middle. Right where my bone had jutted through the skin.

It must have snapped on impact while I was falling down the side of the road.

I could not remember feeling it.

Actually, come to think of it, it didn't hurt too bad right now.

I could hear Chubs' voice in my head. _Adrenaline blocks pain._

If he was right, then I only had a little while to move before the pain became too much to handle. Slower this time, I stood up, putting very little weight on my right leg. I took a step. It wasn't so bad.

I could do this.

Painfully slow, I staggered along the side of the road, holding onto stray bushes and rocks to support myself. The minutes dragged by, and soon it had been an hour. And then two.

The sun was getting lower in the sky.

I still had no idea where I was. If I just followed the river, though, I could get back to where I left the others.

 _Unless I'm going the wrong way_. I pushed the thought out of my mind.

Another hour passed, and I started to wear down. My body was shaking and my mind was going blank. A break wouldn't be a bad idea.

I flopped down on a somewhat flat rock, holding my head in my hands. I had to keep going. I couldn't just stay out here and risk going in shock or developing an infection. At least hypothermia wasn't a problem in the middle of July.

 _15 minutes and then I have to start moving._ I told myself. I counted the seconds off in my head. It kept my thoughts from turning into mush.

On the fifteenth minute, I took a deep breath and stood up.

And promptly fell right back down and vomited.

The adrenaline was gone and now the pain was excruciating. My stomach was flip-flopping, the pain-induced nausea forcing me to vomit up anything I had eaten in the past 24 hours.

Suddenly a new problem arose: dehydration.

This was really bad.

Sweat was dripping down my face. I rolled up my pant leg to look at the wound again. It was still bleeding, but not as bad. But it was swollen, making my right leg almost twice the size of my left leg; and it was red and hot.

I cursed, keeping the pant leg rolled up and extending my knee. I bit my tongue to stop myself from yelling out. It hurt. It hurt so damn much.

At this point, I considered cutting off my leg just to escape from the pain.

 _That will only make things worse, idiot,_ Chubs said in my head.

"Okay, think, Liam. Think."

I focused on breathing. In and out. In and out.

Shelter. I needed to find shelter.

But how to find shelter if I couldn't even walk?

My eyes begun to stung as tears threatened to fall. I was so _frustrated_. This was _hopeless_.

I was going to die out here.

"No," I told myself. "I am not going to die out here. I am not giving up."

I stood up, using only my left leg. I held onto the rock until I regained my balance.

And then I moved. Slowly. Grabbing onto things to stop from falling over. A rock here, a tree here, a bush there. Slowly, treacherously, I kept moving until I spotted a small cave.

It was almost hidden, but there it was, a hole underneath an overhanging rock. At first, it looked like it could fall any minute. But after pushing and pulling on the overhang a few times, I decided it was good enough. It had to be, because I was very close to passing out.

I was barely able to move as I crawled into the cave. My leg was screaming in pain, and it's hot and throbbing. My head was pounding and my body had been shaking with chills for that last five minutes. But the pain didn't last for too long, because within moments of collapsing onto the ground, I'm out.

When I wake up, I can't remember where I am. In a panic, I try to jump up, but I can't move. It feels like all the energy has been drained from my body. It takes everything I got just to scoot myself into a sitting position. When the daze finally starts to fade, I am met with a pain so intense I forget how to breathe. It leaves me gasping for air, then gagging as the shooting pain causes my stomach to turn. I'm nauseated, I'm dizzy, and I'm _freezing._

No, that can't be right. But it has to be, because I can feel the chills creeping up my spine. Then why is there sweat rolling down my face?

 _Fever. You have a fever._ I can hear Chubs' voice again. I groan. Fever, which means infection.

I steel myself, then bend over to look at my leg.

I gag, putting a hand over my mouth.

All around the bone, the skin is edematous and red, with streaks extending away from the wound. I can feel the heat radiating from it, and there is a very unpleasant smell. And then there is the pus. It is seeping from the opening, dripping down my leg and onto the ground.

Infection. It's infected.

I have nothing here to help. I have no idea where Chubs is. He would know what to do. But I don't have him.

I can't stop myself from crying.

The sobs are silent, and there are barely any tears. My body is dehydrated; I have none to shed.

 _I'm going to die._

I was really going to die. I escaped from the people who abducted me, and now I was going to die.

There was no fighting it anymore. Even in the last few minutes, I could feel my body giving up. The chills were worse, but I could feel how hot my body was. I knew the fever was bad. Even without a thermometer, or without Chubs, I could tell.

I just could not get warm. I couldn't get warm but I was burning up. How fucking ironic.

Even shifting my position made me yell out in pain.

So I stopped trying.

With a labored sigh, I collapsed onto my back. My breathing was shallow, and it felt like I could not catch my breath. The sweat continued to drip down my face, my neck, my back. It felt like my leg had its own heartbeat, with the way it was throbbing along to the pulse in my ears.

I had had a good life. It was good. I met amazing people.

Chubs, my best friend. Zu… sweet Suzume. I would miss her so much. I hope she could forgive me for dying, just like her friend. Vida, so hot-headed, but a friend just the same.

Ruby.

I pressed a fist against my mouth and let out a sob. Ruby.

What would I have become if I had not met her? I would be nothing. I would be just a shell of who I was now. Everything I became was because of her.

I loved her. I loved her so much.

What would she do without me?

She would carry on, of course. She was strong. She could get through losing me.

But she had already lost so much.

What if losing me was too much?

I screamed. I couldn't hold it in. I screamed as loud as I could.

"I'm so sorry! Ruby, I'm so sorry!"

I cried. My vision was cutting in and out. Nothing would come into focus.

But then, she was there.

I was hallucinating.

I had to be.

Because there she was, extending her hand toward me, her green eyes so intense.

So beautiful.

"Liam…" She whispered, her voice like birdsong to my tired ears.

"I'm so sorry…" I rasped, closing my eyes.

I didn't open them again, welcoming the cool darkness that surrounded me.


	3. Part 3

**RUBY'S POV**

Pure hysteria has ensued. Not for everyone else, just myself.

Vida was driving and I was sitting in the passenger seat. It had been quiet; everyone knew what was going on, even Zu. She was putting on her very best brave face, but we all knew how hard she was trying not to fall about.

I could understand the feeling. Every time I blinked, I was afraid the tears were going to start flowing.

We had searched all night, but nothing. Chubs suggested we sleep on it and start fresh in the morning.

Vida contacted Cate to see if she had any information.

I had silently cried myself to sleep.

Why did I leave him out there alone? Chubs and Vida could have taken Zu, and I could have been there for backup. This never should have happened! I was so mad at myself. Mad, and also terrified and anguished and miserable.

"It's been hours," I finally said. "He could be anywhere by now."

"We'll find him," Vida said, keeping a tight grip on the steering wheel. She was keeping up her cool and collected façade, but I saw the way her knuckles turned white on the steering wheel.

"Do you think he's okay?" Zu whispered. She had been awfully quiet this whole time. I was hoping she had fallen asleep.

I bit my lip. I couldn't answer her when my own mind was rushing to all the worst case scenarios.

"He's probably just fine. He's probably already looking for us," Vida answered, glancing over at me. "Right, Ruby?"

"Y-yeah…" I took a shaky breath.

Vida took a curve, then slammed on the breaks. We all lurched forward against our seatbelts.

"Whoa, Vi!" Chubs yelled. "What the hell?!"

"Well, do you want to end up like that car?!" She yelled, pointing in front of her.

I looked ahead and spotted what she had seen. A white car smashed against a boulder that had tumbled into the middle of the road.

"The road is blocked," I noted. "We can't go any further…"

What if Liam was beyond this spot? What if they had made it before the rock fell.

This wasn't the SUV we had seen earlier.

Liam could be gone forever.

Just as I was about to go into a full panic attack, Vida's phone started buzzing.

"Cate?" She answered.

I could hear Care talking on the other end, but I could not make out anything.

"Wait, really? How?..." Vida's face lit up, just the slightest. "Do you know where he is?"

More chatter. Vida nodded.

"Call back as soon as you do, okay?"

She hung up.

"What is it?" Chubs asked, leaning between the two front seats.

"Did Cate find Liam?" Zu trembled in her seat, her hands clasped together.

"Kind of," Vida replied. "Liam is wearing one of Cole's jackets."

I nodded. "Yeah, he does sometimes. It makes him feel… it makes him feel like Cole is still kind of with him."

Liam probably never wanted me to tell anyone that, but at that moment, I didn't care.

"But what does that have to do with where he is?" Chubs questioned.

Vida looked over at him, actually smiling for once. "Because. Everyone in the League gets trackers in their jackets. Cole included. And the jacket Lee is wearing still has the trackers."

I felt my heart do a flip-flop. Suddenly, there was hope.

"Can she track him?" I grabbed Vida's wrist. "Does she know where he is?"

Vida shook her head. "Not yet. She said it could take a while, because she has to scan the whole area. Maybe an hour or two. But she will call us back when she knows."

The next hour was agonizing. We stayed in the same location, parked just behind the totaled white car.

After a while, my legs grew restless and I stepped out to stretch. Chubs joined me.

We stretched in silence. He didn't want to talk. I didn't either.

We both knew how the other was feeling.

There was just something about that white car though. The trunk was popped open. Maybe the driver had just gotten his stuff out after he crashed and decided to hitch-hike? It didn't seem likely though. A crash like that… the person would be very lucky to walk away from it.

"I want to check out that car," I told Chubs.

He gave me a look. "Why?"

I shrugged. "It's giving me a weird vibe."

"Well, I'm coming with you. I don't want to risk anyone else wandering off alone."

We walked over to the car, glancing inside the trunk when we passed.

I noticed broken zip-ties on the floor.

And blonde hair.

My breath caught in my throat.

"Chubs," I grabbed him arm before he could walk away.

"What?" He looked where I was pointing. His eyes widened a bit. "It probably isn't from him. You said it was an SUV."

"I didn't actually see the vehicle. The SUV was just following us, or we thought. It could have been anyone."

Chubs looked around. "If he was inside there, and this car crashed… where is he? And the driver?"

I looked back at the front of the car. Breaking away from Chubs, I walked closer and peered inside. I immediately glanced away.

Blood. A lot of it.

And two bodies.

"I don't think the others made it," I said, joining Chubs back at the trunk.

"Liam might have been okay in the trunk. It's the farthest from the impact…" Chubs noted.

We looked around for more clues, but found nothing.

As we headed back to the truck, Vida's phone started buzzing again. She answered after only one ring.

"Cate!" She answered, holding the phone close to her ear. "Wait, wait… let me write that down… hold on…. Okay, go ahead."

She scribbled down some numbers on an old napkin, coordinates it looked like.

"How far away from our location…5 miles east… okay. I'll call you when we get him."

She hung up the phone.

"Let's go get our Boy Scout!" She called, holding the napkin up in the air.

pWe drove the truck as close to the destination as possible. According to Cate, he wasn't on the road, but close to the river.

It was a long way down, at least a 20 foot drop.

I glanced over the side, stepping away when I felt the earth begin to crumble.

"Careful!" Chubs called. "The ground isn't very stable off the road."

"How are we supposed to get down there?" I asked. "It's too steep to climb and too far to jump."

"Boo, you have two Blues here. We got you," Vida lifted her hand and I felt a warm sensation pull at my stomach. Then Chubs joined in and before I knew it, I was being lifted down off the ground.

When my feet hit the stone below, I immediately started looking around.

I saw nothing.

All I could see were scraggly bushes and stunted trees, and rocks everywhere. Big and small and tall and round.

Everything was gray and brown.

Well, except for that red sneaker.

I looked closer, and saw the shoe was connected to a leg. That leg was sticking out of a hole in the ground.

And that the shoe belonged to Liam.

I nearly tripped over myself running to him.

"Liam!" I called.

There was no response.

I got down on my hands and knees, crawling into the hole.

There he was, sprawled on his back. His chest was rising and falling.

But the breaths were rapid and shallow.

"Lee?" I called his name again, but he didn't move.

When I got closer, I could smell it. I almost gagged, looking around for the source.

There it was. His leg.

I covered my mouth to suppress a gasp. His leg was swollen and red, and I could feel the heat pulsing off of it. Looking closer, I could see his bone protruding through the skin.

It was infected. It was really infected.

This was really bad.

"Liam…" I reached toward him.

He lifted his head. His face was so pale, but his cheeks were flushed. His eyes were bloodshot and I thought I heard him whimper.

I could barely hear him when he said "I'm so sorry…".

"Liam!" I crawled in beside him, but he had already lost consciousness. I cupped his cheeks in my hands, feeling the heat that was radiating from his skin.

He had a fever.

He was dying.

I couldn't stop myself.

I cried.

I pulled him against my chest and cried, stroking his hair gently with my fingers.

"I'm so sorry, Lee," I sobbed. "I shouldn't have left you. I should have stayed. This never should have happened…"

Someone was approaching from outside. I held Liam protectively against myself, ready to fend off anyone who tried to hurt him.

Chubs appeared at the entrance of the cave.

"You found hi—Jesus Christ!" Chubs hissed, getting a look at Liam's leg. "Ruby, we need to get him out of there!"

"He's dying, Chubs!" I cried, shaking my head. "This is all my fault!"

"No, it's not! Ruby, you need to hold it together for a minute. We need to get him out!"

I nodded. This was not the place to break down.

We needed to get him out.

I grabbed under his arms and Chubs grabbed his legs and we carefully slid him out. He remained unconscious, which was a blessing considering how much we were moving his injured leg.

He was sweating. He was sweating really, really bad.

"We need to get him over to Vida and Zu so she can lift him out," Chubs adjusted his grip on Liam's lower half.

I nodded, about ready to move when Lee stirred a bit.

"Mmf…" His face grimaced, then started to contort with pain. He screamed.

I have never heard him scream so loud.

"Liam! It's us!" Chubs called to him. "I know it hurts, buddy. But we have to move you."

I tried to keep moving, but Liam was thrashing. We had to put him down or risk dropping him.

I kneeled down next to him. He was still screaming.

"Liam…" I whispered, putting a hand against his burning face. He was panting.

"Liam, it's Ruby and Chubs. We are just trying to help. I know it hurts, I know it does." I blinked back the tears that were trying to fall.

"…hurts," Liam murmured, his voice so small. So weak.

"I know… I'm so sorry."

"Ruby?"

I looked down at his face. His eyes were open, staring right into mine.

"I'm here, Lee," I brushed the hair out of his face and he leaned into my hand.

"…you found me," He sighed, closing his eyes again.

I smiled, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. "I never would have stopped looking."

He had slipped into unconsciousness again.

With a nod, Chubs and I lifted him up once more. It was awkward carrying him; Liam was even taller than Chubs, let alone me. But we made it.

"Holy shit," I could hear Vida catch her breath. She turned away, grabbing Zu and turning her toward the truck.

"But I wanna see Lee!" Zu cried. "Why can't I see him?!"

"Not yet, Zu! Just get in the truck. Please!"

Zu must have been taken aback from Vida saying 'please', because she obeyed. I heard the door shut as she got inside.

"Give me a hand, Vi!" Chubs called up to her. We lowered Liam to the ground gently.

I watched as Chubs and Vida used their powers to lift Liam up slowly, bringing him up and over the ledge and setting him gently next to Vida's feet.

They sent me over next. And then Vida lifted Chubs.

I let out a sigh of relief that we were finally at the truck. That we finally had Liam.

There wasn't much time to celebrate though.

"We need to load him up and get him to a hospital!" Chubs laid a hand on Liam's forehead, shaking his head. "This is a bad infection. I think it's already in his blood."

The way the redness was streaking from the wound proved Chubs' point. The amount of pus and drainage was also very worrying.

"Do… do you think he will be okay?" I whispered, looking over at Chubs. I had a hand laid on Liam's chest, just to be sure he was breathing. It was so shallow, it was hard to tell.

Chubs met my eyes, and I saw my own fear reflected in his. "I don't know."

We loaded Liam into the back seat, putting Zu in the front and Vida at the wheel.

One look at Liam and Zu had burst into tears.

"Is he going to die?" She had sobbed, holding on tightly to Vida's shirt as she patted the young girl's back.

"It's going to be okay, Zu," Chubs told her. "Just get up front so he can lay in the back, okay?"

Zu nodded, climbing into the front seat beside Vida.

The drive to the hospital felt like it took forever.

Especially when Liam woke up.


	4. Part 4

LIAM'S POV

She had found me. Seeing her had not been a hallucination. Ruby had found me and she was here now and I was safe.

I was barely aware of my surroundings, but I could feel the vibrations of the truck as it barreled down the road. And I could feel her.

My head was in her lap, and I felt her one hand laying on my chest, while the other stroked my hair. I was in some sort of half-consciousness, where I couldn't find the energy to open my eyes or to talk or even scream, but I could feel and hear. I could hear a lot.

There was a lot of silence, but there was also the sniffling of people who were crying. A couple sobs escaped Ruby, and I wanted so bad to comfort her. Ironic, considering I was the one teetering on the edge. I could hear Zu's sniffles and little sobs from the front seat. I wanted nothing more than for her to never see me like this, but it was too late. The damage was done.

I tried to move and managed to shift my position a bit, but shooting pains raced up my legs. I heard screaming, and then I realized it was coming from me.

"Liam!" I felt Ruby place a hand on my forehead, still keeping a hand on my chest. "It's okay, we're almost to the hospital. Just hang on!"

I could feel my breathing becoming shakier, more shallow, and it felt as if I could not catch my breath.

"Chubs, is there _anything_ you can do?" Ruby pleaded.

"I don't have my first aid kit with me! The one time I don't bring it…" Chubs cursed under his breath.

I groaned again. It was so hot, it was making breathing even harder.

"Hot," I moaned, turning my head into Ruby's stomach.

"I know, I know… you have a fever." Ruby's voice was low and soothing as she brushed the wet hair off my forehead.

I took a long, shaky inhale. My hands were feeling fuzzy and all the sounds around me started to morph into a low buzzing. I was slipping back into unconsciousness; I tried to hold on longer. I grabbed for Ruby's hand and pulled it to my lips, placing a light kiss on the back of her hand. Then I held her hand over my chest, lacing my fingers with hers. I tried to give it a squeeze, but I barely had the strength anymore.

I felt something wet hit my forehead, and realized it was a tear. She was crying again.

"Please, just a little longer, Liam," She sobbed, leaning down to put her forehead against mine.

 _I'll try._ I wanted to say it out loud but the words wouldn't form.

Within seconds, silent darkness enveloped me.

I don't know how long I was out.

The first thing I noticed was a _beep…beep…beep…_ coming from somewhere nearby.

I could feel something stuck on my finger, something in my hand, something in my other hand. A thin sheet covering my body.

I finally tried to open my eyes, and was met with a blinding light. Squinting, I let them adjust before looking around.

I was in a room. It was all white… white tiles, white walls, white blinds. The crisp smell of bleach and lemon filled the air.

It then dawned on me. I was in the hospital.

And I was alive.

I wanted to cry in relief. I tried to sit up a little straighter to look around, but barely managed to move half an inch.

I glanced over to my hands, and noticed IVs inserted into both of them. They were each hooked up to different bags hanging from the poles by the bed. A pulse reader was stuck over my finger. There was a blood pressure cuff over my left arm.

The beeping was coming from the machine keeping track of my vitals. I leaned back to stare at the screen.

92/53… 98… 99%...

The number started to swim in my vision and I glanced away. Chubs would know what those numbers meant.

Speaking of him, where was he? Where was anyone? The room was empty except for myself.

They would not have just left me. They had to have gone off somewhere.

Maybe I needed to go find them.

In hindsight, it probably was not the best idea. But at the time, it seemed like the most plausible.

I grabbed onto the side rails by my head and used them as leverage as I swung my legs over the edge. It took a few tries and a lot of grunting, but I finally got them dangling off the side of the bed.

I held onto the rail for support as I panted, trying to catch my breath. Just moving from laying to sitting left me feeling absolutely drained.

I glanced down at my legs, my breath catching in my throat. The bone was still sticking out of my leg. It was still red and hot… it was still infected.

Something wasn't right. I was here to get this fixed. Why wasn't it fixed?

Holding onto the rail, I pushed myself up.

I had just pulled myself onto my left leg, holding the right one off the ground. I was shaking, but I was standing and ready to get going. I had to figure out what was going on.

That's when Ruby walked in; right when she saw me she gasped and ran over, catching me just as I was about to fall forward. The room was spinning and black dots were dancing in the edges of my vision.

"Whoa! Lee, what're you doing?!" She lowered me back onto the bed, placing her hand on my cheek. Her face fell and she glanced over at the monitor. The beeping had become more rapid.

"I'm going to go get the nurse, okay? You need to lay back down," She stood to leave but I grabbed her hand.

"Please don't go," I pleaded. I didn't want her to go. I didn't want to be alone.

Her eyes softened. She placed a hand on my shoulder and gently guided me back down onto the bed.

"Just for a moment," She cooed, pushing my hair back. "Your fever is up again, and the nurse needs to come see you anyway, now that you're awake."

"Two minutes," I leaned into her touch. "Please be back."

"I promise," She kissed my forehead and left the room.

I watched the clock. It kept my mind off the ringing in my ears and the dull pain that was developing in my leg. It was threatening to erupt any minute and I had broken out into a cold sweat just thinking about it. Or it could have been from the fever. I honestly wasn't sure anymore.

Ruby came back with the nurse, a short slender woman who had to be at least 55 years old. But she had a kind smile, and I relaxed. Just a little.

"I'm glad you're finally awake, honey," She smiled, taking a thermometer out of her pocket and gliding it against my forehead. It beeped and she studied the results.

"You were right; 102.4. I'll go get something to bring that down," She nodded toward Ruby, then turned back to me. "How are you feeling? Any pain?"

I nodded. It was all I could muster. The dull ache was steadily turning into a blazing, shooting sensation that felt like it was taking over my entire body.

"I'll be right back," The nurse turned and left.

Ruby sat down in a chair by the bed; had she been here the whole time? She reached over and squeezed my hand and I stared at her with glassy eyes.

She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. If she was the last thing I ever saw, I would be content.

"Lee?" She said.

I opened my eyes. When had I closed them?

"Lee, try to stay with me. Stay with me. Please," She pleaded. I felt my heart break.

"Okay," I murmured, focusing on her eyes.

The nurse came back, pushing morphine and acetaminophen into my IV. Almost immediately, I felt the pain begin to dull and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Call me if you need anything else," the nurse told Ruby before she left.

"How are you feeling," Ruby asked, giving my hand a squeeze.

"Better," I sighed, leaning back against the pillow. Now, I was just feeling sleepy. But I had so many questions. "What happened?"

She stared at me for a minute. "What's the last thing you remember?"

I thought for a minute. There was the car, then the accident… then I fell down the cliff. My leg was broken. I tried to find help, but I couldn't. I found shelter.

"I was in that cave. You found me," I told her.

"Nothing after that?"

I shook my head.

Ruby went on to explain how they had found me using Cole's jacket. How her and Chubs had carried me. How Vida and Chubs lifted me up to the truck and how they drove two hours to the closest hospital.

My leg was broken in two places, both the tibia and the fibula. The tibia had fractured in half and broken through the skin, and infection had quickly settled in.

I was septic when they found me. The infection had moved into my blood, causing a high fever, delirium, and unconsciousness.

"When we got here," Ruby put a hand over her mouth to cover a sob. "You… you were barely breathing. They called for a crash cart... I know I wasn't supposed to stay, but I did. They didn't know I was still there…"

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Your blood pressure was so low they could barely get it a reading. And then you just… you just… stopped. You stopped breathing and your heart wasn't beating."

Ruby threw her head into her hands and started crying. Her body was shaking as the sobs racked her body. Tears started to well up in my own eyes. I reached over and pulled her hand away from her face. I laced our fingers together and squeezed as hard as I could.

"I'm okay now, darlin'," I whispered to her, but she shook her head.

"But you aren't, Lee," She cried. "They had to restart your heart, and it was horrible. They had to put a tube down your throat and bag you. You died. You actually died, yet somehow, you're still here."

I hadn't noticed before, but after she mentioned it, I felt the soreness in my throat. They had to intubate me… realization hit me and I felt the color leave my face.

"I died?" I echoed her words, and she nodded.

"You did… but then they put the IVs in and started pumping you with fluids and antibiotics and you came back. They removed the tube and you started breathing again. It was like you came back from the dead."

"But my leg?" I suddenly remembered that it was still broken. It was still infected. It still hurt so, so much.

"They can't do surgery yet," She explained. "It is still too infected. There is no point fixing it and trapping the infection inside. They want to wait another day. They are giving you really powerful antibiotics through one of your IVs."

I shook my head, still confused. "How long have I been here?"

"We just got here last night…"

Last night? It felt like it had been days already.

Laying back against the pillow, I let what Ruby had said sink in. It felt like someone was squeezing my heart. I couldn't breathe.

Tears started streaming down my face and I choked on a sob. But in seconds, arms were wrapping around my neck. Ruby crawled beside me and pulled me into her chest, rubbing a hand up and down my back.

She didn't say anything. She just held me. But I'm sure it was just as comforting to her as it was for me.


	5. Part 5

RUBY'S POV

Liam fell back to sleep against my chest, and I just laid there with him. I stroked his hair, focusing on the way his chest was rising and falling against my own. The beeping of the machine beside the bed started to lull me into sleep as well, but I was pulled from sleep by a knocking at the door.

I looked up to see Chubs, carrying two coffees. He set them down on the table and came over to the bed. He glanced down at Liam where he was sleeping with his head against my chest, his mouth opened just a bit.

"That's the most peaceful I've seen him since being here," Chubs noted, letting a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth.

I nodded, planting a kiss on the top of Liam's head. "He woke up earlier. I caught him standing next to the bed."

Chubs jolted a bit. "What?"

"He woke up, and no one was there, and I guess he got scared? His fever was back up and I think he was still delirious...," I sighed. "It's a good thing I came back when I did, cause he was about to hit the ground."

Chubs shook his head. "He is such a knucklehead. I don't know what we are going to do with him."

I shrugged. Liam groaned and shifted his position, pressing his forehead against my neck. He was still warm, but nowhere near where he had been before.

"How do his vitals look?" I asked Chubs. He had been staring at the monitor for a few minutes now, chewing his lip.

He glanced at me when he heard me speak. "They're stable. Blood pressure is still a bit low, pulse is high… but that's to be expected."

"I just want them to get this surgery over with," I said, running a hand down Liam's cheek. "I just want him to get better."

"We all do," Chubs replied, settling down in the armchair and grabbing his coffee from the table.

Liam woke up about an hour later. He was groggy, but he lit up when he saw Chubs.

"Be honest with me, Charles," he spoke, his words running together. The pain meds were working wonderfully.

Chubs chuckled. "What?"

"How long do I have left?"

We all froze. I looked up from the armchair to where Chubs was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Liam had sat up and had a hand placed on Chubs' shoulder.

"Just give it to me straight, doc," Liam slurred. "I can handle it."

Chubs was lost for words. I watched quietly, unsure of what to say as well.

"Don't talk like that, Lee," Chubs finally forced out. "You're going to be fine."

Liam shrugged and flopped back against the pillows.

Chubs and I exchanged a worried look.

Liam fell back asleep, but it was fitful. He was tossing and turning, and upon resting my hand on his forehead, it was obvious his fever had spiked again. He was muttering under his breath, sweat rolling down his forehead and neck.

The call-light had been turned on and we waited very impatiently for the nurse. We couldn't get him to wake up, and he started yelling out in pain.

Chubs had pulled the blankets off his leg, and I got a glimpse of it. It was still red, the heat rolling from it was tangible. However, the red streaks were diminished and there was no pus, just a crusting over the cut. It was better, but it was still really bad. I knew it hurt. Just looking at it made my own leg throb.

Finally, the nurse returned. After a reading of 103.1, she ran off to fetch more meds while I tried to console Liam.

He opened his eyes, his pupils pin-points as he stared at me. But he wasn't looking at me, it was like he was looking right through me.

"Liam," I spoke slowly, keeping my voice low. "Look at me. You're okay."

His eyes focused and he let out a shuddering breath.

"I don't want to hurt anymore," The words were below a whisper, so quiet I almost couldn't hear them.

I felt a chill run up my spine. He was hurting. He was in so much pain and I just wanted to take it all away.

I pushed back the tears that were attempting to spring from my eyes. I brushed the hair out of his eyes, caressing his cheek and giving him a small smile. It wasn't genuine but I hoped it was reassuring at least.

"I know, baby. I know and I'm so sorry this happened to you. It will be over soon, okay?"

He closed his eyes, turning his head to the side. I saw the way his jaw was clenched; the way his body was rigid as he tried to endure the pain.

It was too much.

I stood from the bed, walking over to where Chubs was standing in the corner. He opened his arms for me, and I walked into his embrace. I let the tears fall this time, pressing my face into Chubs' shirt.

The nurse returned and administered the meds. She checked his vitals again, checked on his leg, then excused herself.

I watched Liam's body relax, sinking against the pillows. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

"I can't handle this," I whispered, just loud enough for Chubs to hear.

"Me neither," Chubs gave my shoulder an awkward pat. "But we have to. For Lee."

The rest of the night went about the same. Every three to four hours, Liam was waking up in pain, thrashing around with sweat rolling down his face. The nurse continued to administer pain medication, trying to keep him comfortable. He was never going to fight this infection off if he could not get any rest.

Finally, around six in the morning, he passed into a deep sleep. He needed it, too, because his surgery was scheduled for two in the afternoon.

I left Chubs in the room with him and walked out to the waiting room. I needed a break from that room, as awful as it sounded. I wanted to be there for Liam, I really did, but I needed a break.

I saw Vida, and sat down beside her.

"How is he?" She asked, looking up from her cup of coffee.

I shrugged. "He is finally sleeping. Fever has stayed down for a few hours now."

Vida nodded, taking a long sip from her cup. I noticed three empty cups sitting on the table beside her. Then I noticed Zu was not with her.

"Where's Zu?" I asked, looking around for the girl.

"Cate came and took her back," Vida answered. "She really did not want to go, but Cate figured it would be better for all of us. Plus, she really does not need to be around for this."

True, the ICU was probably not the best place for a little girl, but I could just imagine Zu's face when Cate made her leave. She loved Liam as much as the rest of us. It would have killed me if someone had made me leave.

"Cate's been calling for updates, so Zu still knows what going on," Vida added, almost reading my mind.

I nodded, leaning back against the chair and stretching out my arms. "I'm exhausted."

"Same," Vida replied, downing the rest of her coffee. "I'm going to go get some more espresso. You want something?"

I shook my head, crossing my arms against my chest. "Nah, I'm good. You go ahead."

As soon as Vida left, I was leaning my head back and within minutes, I was dozing off.

I managed to get a few hours of sleep, and when I finally woke up, my neck was killing me from the awkward angle it had been hanging in. I groaned, turning it to one side and then the next to try and stretch the sore muscles.

"Get enough sleep?" Vida asked from beside me. She was nursing her fourth cup of coffee.

I shrugged, covering my mouth with my palm. "Doesn't feel like it."

"These aren't the most comfortable chairs," Vida agreed, taking a small sip. "I've decided to just keep myself awake with loads of caffeine."

"Vida, that's not healthy," I gave her a disapproving look but she just shrugged.

I decided to head back to the room, excusing myself and heading down the hall.

But when I entered the room, it was empty except for Chubs who was still sitting in the armchair.

"Where's Lee," I asked, my tone sharp. What had happened while I was sleeping?

Chubs glanced up from whatever he was reading. "Did they not tell you?" He asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

I shook my head.

"They moved his surgery time up. His fever was down to 99.7, and they can a cancellation, so they grabbed him. It's been about an hour now."

I felt relief, anger, and fear all at once. My hands started to tremble, and Chubs must have noticed, because he set his book down and came beside me.

"Here, let's go back to the waiting room." He said, grabbed my shoulders and guiding me out the door.

"Chubs, I'm scared," I whispered, letting him lead me back to the waiting room. "And… I wanted to be there when he was taken back," My bottom lip trembled, and I could feel the tears welling up.

"Hey, it's fine. He was still doped up, he probably would not have even noticed," Chubs tried to reassure me, but his words felt empty.

We joined Vida again, updating her on the situation.

"This nightmare may almost be over then, huh?" She said, shifting her position in the seat. "Cause the caffeine isn't quite working anymore." She yawned, and Chubs offered his shoulder for her to lean on.

I hoped she was right, I really, really hoped.


End file.
